Leia and Han
by djlythium
Summary: In The Empire Strikes Back, atop Cloud City, Leia and Han share a moment of frustration. After recently watching this film once again, I decided to put into words the emotion that passes between them. This scene is pulled directly from the movie, with no embellishments but my own prose.


Pacing near the panoramic viewport that accentuated the common area of the Administrator Loft, Leia could no longer ignore the nagging pressure in her mind. The rebel fleet was safely scattered across the galaxy at various rendezvous points, and though she was still attempting to formulate a plan for everyone to regroup, this was not the source of her anxiety. There was something else wrong with their situation, something she couldn't quite grasp, as if important information was being withheld.

This bubbling sense of panic began once they entered Bespin's atmosphere. Though she had remained quiet at the time, their caretaker Lando was trembling when he kissed her hand, and she quite doubted it was the result of her beauty. Now, she had been alone for hours with no company but her thoughts, not even the protocol droid, of which Chewie had gone to find. The circumstances were odd, and she felt they were getting worse.

In the midst of her reasoning, the Suite's entryport hissed open, and the Princess turned to see a clean-shaven scoundrel pace into the room.

"The ship's almost finished! Two or three more things, and we're in great shape," Captain Solo smirked confidently, ignorant of her struggles.

"The sooner, the better!" Leia snapped in reply as she strode up to him wagging an accusing finger. "Something's wrong here. No one has seen, or knows anything about 3PO! He's been gone too long to have gotten lost!"

Han turned to deflect the onslaught, as well as control his temper. _What did I walk into?!_ He thought, smiling with open arms in an attempt to disarm the lady. When she was within range, he held her shoulders and gently kissed her forehead. "Relax," he cooed, cradling her jawline, "I'll talk to Lando, see what I can find out."

Though unconscious, a small sense of relief cascaded over the Princess, causing her to sit before the Captain. " _I don't trust_ _Lando_."

Inside, Solo was grinning as his charms worked once again. She would never admit it, but Leia felt safe with him outside of their professional roles. He could see it in her body language, and in her eyes. He knew that look, had seen it many times before from many different species of women, but he never returned it. Then again, none of those other women were quite so… Affronting.

"Well, I don't trust him either," Han agreed with a bow, stepping around to sit with Leia. "But, he is my friend. Besides, we'll soon be gone."

He caught her eyes then, and suddenly saw not a commander of the rebel fleet, not an overbearing, insulting, kiss-deprived bachelorette, but a lady. For months on end, they had been fighting against the oppressive Empire, and only now he saw truly the radiant, eccentric, compassionate lady before him.

Staring back at the swooning Captain, the Princess followed his graceful motion to sit before her. He was pouring on the charm, as always, but the way he comforted her, the way he seemed to be excited that they all would soon be leaving that dreadful place, revealed something new about him. Though he would never admit it, _it_ was no longer only about Han; it was about them.

But, Solo could be ever deceitful, as required in the life of a smuggler. Though she saw more in his eyes, she could not afford to unlock her heart. However, she was always free to wonder. "Then, you're as good as gone, aren't you?"

At this, Han found himself with no witty quip, and could only break her gorgeous gaze. He looked at his hands, searched his mind for some reassuring charisma that would make the lady smile, but he found none, for she was right. He had the bounty to pay off, and then it was back to the only life he had come to know, that of single freedom. In fact, he had been planning on such freedom for a long time, especially when he was repairing his ship on Hoth. Yet, as he now thought about leaving his friends, leaving her, freedom suddenly felt lonely.

When he looked up to find her glimmering chocolaty eyes searching him, he knew then that he had stolen her heart, just as she had stolen his.


End file.
